Leitmotifs
A leitmotif (/ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf/) is a musical "phrase" or melody, re-used in multiple songs to associate a tune with a person, event, or place. The extensive use of leitmotifs in Undertale's soundtrack and other sound files helps create a nostalgic mood for the game and often evokes emotional responses in players. Toby Fox has stated that the majority of Undertale's soundtrack was composed using reiterations of free SoundFonts and synths.Toby Fox on Twitter (deleted post) Attempts have been made at documenting all of the leitmotifs used in the game ; players frequently find new connections, and it may be impossible to list them all conclusively. Every single data can be considered interpretations and every single change must be explained in history description. Timestamps found below are approximate to one second and are sourced from this playlist, which reflects the timing of the official soundtrack. Once Upon a Time This is the most frequently recurring melody in the game. * Once Upon a Time * Start Menu and Menu (Full) ** The background tracks for the Start Menu build upon one another, with five intermediate tracks between Start Menu and Menu (Full). ** The music played in the menu at the end of a True Pacifist playthrough is a slowed rendition of Start Menu.Undertale Main Menu Music Easter Egg - YouTube * Home and Home (Music Box) 0:36-1:44 * Hotel 0:20-1:22 * Can You Really Call This A Hotel, I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything 0:14-0:57 * Undertale 0:37-5:58 * The ChoiceI heard that if you sped up “The Choice”... - Tumblr * Fallen Down (Reprise) 1:18-2:30 syncopated to 3/4 * Hopes and Dreams 0:00-1:29, 1:52-2:14 * SAVE the World * Final Power reversed * Reunited 0:43-3:56 * Bring It In, Guys! 3:47-4:05 * Last Goodbye 0:02-2:15 * Good Night Flowey This leitmotif occurs in at least seven songs, and one unused audio file.Undertale - All songs with the "Your Best Friend" melody/leitmotif - YouTube Your Best Friend * Your Best Friend * Your Best Nightmare 0:54-1:26, 2:00-2:27, 3:00-3:27 * Finale 0:00-0:40, 0:57-1:52 * Hopes and Dreams 1:29-1:52 * SAVE the World 0:05-0:08, 0:15-0:18, 0:25-0:28, 0:36-0:39, 1:35-1:46 * Last Goodbye 0:29-0:32, 0:39-0:42 * mus_toomuchUndertale OST "But Nobody Came" Sped up 1200% - YouTube (this plays after exhausting the random kill counter of an area) * mus_f_finale_1 Your Best Nightmare * You Idiot * Your Best Nightmare 0:00-0:16, 0:22-0:53, 1:27-1:54, 2:29-2:54, 3:28-4:00 * Premonition * Burn in Despair! * mus_f_part3 Toriel * Fallen Down (the track in-game is played 25 cents above C# major in A440 equal-tempered tuning. The sheet music shown above is written in D major) * Fallen Down (Reprise) 0:00-1:18 * Bring It In, Guys! 3:34-3:47 syncopated to 4/4 * Empty House Ruins Ruins is another common melody, appearing in at least fourteen official songs''[Version 2 Undertale - All songs with the "Ruins" melody/leitmotif]'' - YouTube and an unused sound file. * Ruins 0:00-1:01 * Waterfall 0:27-1:06 * Quiet Water * NGAHHH!! 0:34-1:22 * Spear of Justice 0:36-1:55 * An Ending * Don't Give Up * Respite 0:35-1:54 * Bring It In, Guys! 1:48-2:14 * mus_ruinspiano Enemy Approaching * Enemy Approaching * Dogsong, has the variation of the melody ** A slowed version of this song plays after meeting Endogeny's sparing conditions. * Temmie Village, also has the variationibid. beginning at 2:46 * Tem Shop, also has the variation''it's all connected'' - YouTube * Stronger Monsters * Bring It In, Guys! 0:00-0:34 * Dogtroid Anticipation * Anticipation (this song also plays at extremely reduced speeds when battling Monster Kid, during the final encounters with Flowey in New Home, and at the end of a "Soulless" Pacifist playthrough) * Enemy Approaching 0:00-0:10 * Stronger Monsters * Bring It In, Guys! 0:00-0:12 Ghost Fight * Ghost Fight * Dogbass (Uses Bassline) * Dummy!Undertale - All songs with the "Ghost Fight" melody/leitmotif - YouTube * Pathetic House * Spider Dance Determination * Determination ** This song is sped up, looped, and played over itself, as Flowey laughs at the protagonist for dying to him. * ASGORE 1:50-2:28 syncopated to 4/4 * mus_snoresymphony * mus_kingdescription Sans Found in five songs, one of which is never played in the game.Undertale - All songs with the "sans." melody/leitmotif - YouTube * sans. * It's Raining Somewhere Else ** This song is played slightly slower in Sans's Room. * Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans * Bring It In, Guys! 0:40-0:46 Papyrus * Nyeh Heh Heh! * Bonetrousle ** This song is played at an extremely reduced speed when encountering Papyrus for the last time in the Genocide Route."one of the catchiest songs in the OST, reduced to an eldritch horror." - Undertale OST - Bonetrousle (GENOCIDE) Extended - YouTube * Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans 0:33-0:58 * Bring It In, Guys! 0:34-0:53 Snowdin Hopes * Snowy 0:00-1:03 ** This song plays when fighting Snowdrake's Mother. It is heavily distorted, changing pitch and speed randomly every few seconds. * Snowdin Town 0:19-0:56 * Shop 0:00-0:25 * Dating Start! 0:00-0:16, 0:37-0:54, 1:31-1:56 * Dating Tense! syncopated * Dating Fight! 0:00-0:13 * Hopes and Dreams 0:44-1:07 * Reunited 0:00-1:43 * Bring It In, Guys! 0:54-1:16''Undertale - All songs with the "Snowy" melody/leitmotif'' - YouTube Dreams Partition needed. * Snowdin Town 0:56-1:16 * Shop 0:25-0:50 * Dating Start! 0:16-0:35, 0:54-1:31 * Dating Fight! 0:13-0:35 * Confession * Hopes and Dreams 2:15-3:01 * Reunited 3:56-4:25 * Bring It In, Guys! 1:16-1:29''Undertale - All songs with the "Snowy" melody/leitmotif'' - YouTube Undyne * Undyne * Run! syncopated to 4/4 * Dating Tense! 0:17-0:25 syncopated to 4/4 * NGAHHH!! 0:00-0:34, has the variation of the melody''All the Undertale leitmotifs. ALL OF THEM.'' beginning at 14:59 - YouTube * Spear of Justice 0:00-0:36, also has the variation * ASGORE 2:28-2:36, syncopated to 4/4 * Bring It In, Guys! 1:29-1:48, also has the variation Waterfall The theme originates from the song "Doctor" from Homestuck.http://undertale.wikia.com/wiki/Unused_Music_Tracks#Patient * Waterfall 0:00-0:27, 1:56-2:07 * Another Medium 0:00-0:51, 0:58-1:21, 1:35-2:12 * CORE 0:00-1:01, 1:29-2:10, 2:37-2:46 * Death by Glamour 0:00-1:04, 1:56-2:12 * Bring It In, Guys! 2:14-3:07 * mus_star (debatable) Alphys "A" section * Alphys * Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap 0:06-0:13 * She's Playing Piano * Here We Are * But the Earth Refused to Die * Battle Against a True Hero 1:36-2:36 Mettaton It's Showtime! Found in seven songs and at least one other sound file.Undertale - All songs with the "It's Showtime!" melody/leitmotif - YouTube * It's Showtime! * Metal Crusher 0:04-0:19, 0:37-0:53 * Hotel (Uses Bassline) * Can You Really Call This a Hotel... (Uses Bassline) * Live Report syncopated to 3/4 * Death Report syncopated to 3/4 * Death by Glamour 1:30-1:56 * mus_tv (i.e., Papyrus's TV) Metal Crusher This leitmotif originates from Noisemaster's Theme from Cucumber Quest. * Metal Crusher 0:20-0:37 * Last Episode! * Death by Glamour 1:04-1:30 Asgore * Bergentrückung * ASGORE 0:00-0:33 * Bring It In, Guys! 3:25-3:34 Asriel * Memory * Undertale 0:00-2:47, 3:27-6:21 ** At times, the melody is barely perceptible among overlapping music. It is heard on a guitar for most of the song, becoming hard to distinguish after 3:27. The tune switches to a more audible sample after 4:42, to a quiet background piano at the key change around 5:20, and back to the second SoundFont at 5:57. * The Choice (imperceptible), as it is a part of Undertale which contains the barely-audible Memory * Finale 0:40-0:57''Music similarities 2: Undertale: Finale and His theme'' - YouTube * His Theme Other Minor Leitmotifs * The Joystick Config songs - Uwa!! So Temperate♫, ...Holiday♫, and ...HEATS!!♫ - are all variations of each other. * Home to Home (Music Box) * Heartache to ASGORE 0:34-1:49 * Spooktune to Spookwave * Ghouliday to Jingle Bells * Hotel to Can You Really Call This a Hotel... * Live Report to Death Report * Oh! One True Love to Oh! Dungeon and For The Fans * Another Medium to CORE and part 5 of Bring It In, Guys! * Battle Against a True Hero 0:00-1:36 to Power of "NEO" * MEGALOVANIA to its previous incarnations. * Gaster's Theme has debatable uses in some songs. Similar samples * Sample used in Barrier is used in AmalgamUndertale: Barrier sped up 90% - YouTube * Sample used in Ooo is used in Waterfall (0:14-0:25) * Flowey's Laugh is used in Your Best Nightmare (0:16-0:22) * mus_smile is Muffet's laugh, sped up, reversed, and looped.W. D. GASTER "Mus_Smile" Dissected!" - YouTube * Multiple songs from the soundtrack use instrument samples from other games. References de:‎Leitmotive fr:Leitmotivs pl:Leitmotify ru:Лейтмотивы Category:Music